Privacy Policy
Introduction
This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties.
Why and when your consent is necessary
When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our GPs and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best possible healthcare. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent from you to do this.
Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?
Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide healthcare services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding, and sharing your personal information is to manage your health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (e.g. staff training).
What personal information do we collect?
The information we collect about you includes:
- Names, date of birth, addresses, contact details.
- Medical information, including medical history, medications, allergies, adverse events, immunisations, social history, family history, and risk factors.
- Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes.
- Healthcare identifiers.
- Health fund details.
Dealing with us anonymously
You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required or authorised by law to only deal with identified individuals.
How do we collect your personal information?
Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.
- When you make your first appointment, our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your registration.
- During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal information. Further information might be obtained via eHealth Services like My Health Record (eg. Shared Health Summary, Event Summary) and ScriptCheck WA.
- We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or telephone us, make an online appointment.
- In some circumstances, personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information from:
â— your guardian or responsible person
â— other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, community health services and pathology and diagnostic
imaging services
â— your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veteran's Affairs (as necessary).
When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?
We sometimes share your personal information:
- with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers these third parties are required to comply with APPs and this policy
- with other healthcare providers
- when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. court subpoenas)
- when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient's life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient's consent
- to assist in locating a missing person
- to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
- for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
- when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some diseases require mandatory notification)
- during the course of providing medical services, through My Health Record (e.g. via Shared Health Summary, Event Summary).
Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.
Our practice only includes relevant information in our referral letters to other healthcare providers
At times we may be contacted by overseas organisations, such as medical practices, requesting information. Please be advised that this will not be undertaken unless you provide written consent for this to occur, and we can verify that you have emigrated or are on holiday overseas.
Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing of any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing.
Our practice may use your personal information to improve the quality of the services we offer to our patients through research and analysis of patient data.
We may provide de-identified data to other organisations to improve population health outcomes. The information is secure, patients cannot be identified, and the information is stored within Australia. You can let our reception staff know if you do not want your information included.
How do we store and protect your personal information?
Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms (e.g. paper records, electronic records, visual records (X-rays, CT scans, photos).
Our practice stores all personal information securely, with hard copy information stored in a secured environment and electronic information stored in protected information systems.
How can you access and correct your personal information at our practice?
You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.
Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their medical records. We require you to put this request in writing to our Practice Manager by email at manager@ballajuramedical.com.au or by phoning (08) 9249 1311. Our practice will respond to your request within a reasonable time.
Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to our Practice Manager by email at manager@ballajuramedical.com.au or by phoning (08) 9249 1311
How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how will the complaint be handled at our practice?
We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure.
Complaints should be made in writing and addressed to the Practice Manager, Ballajura Medical Centre, 114 Illawarra Crescent South, Ballajura WA 6066 and marked œPrivate and Confidential. Your complaint will be attended to as soon as possible. For further information regarding complaints, please contact the Practice Manager on (08) 9249 1311.
Alternatively, you can contact the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office on (08) 6551 7600 or 1800 813 583.
You may also contact the OAIC Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information, visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.
Privacy and our website
Our practice takes your privacy seriously and any information provided through your use of the Ballajura Medical Centre website is subject to our Privacy Policy.
Our website uses cookies, which collect information about your web browsing behaviour. Our practice uses tools provided by third parties that utilise cookies, such as Google Analytics, to review website traffic information. Information collected may include the IP address of the device and information about sites that IP address has come from, the pages you visit on our site, and the previous site visited. We use this information to maintain, secure and improve your online
You can opt out of Google Analytics data collection by using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On.
Policy review statement
This Privacy Policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur, with amendments or updates to this policy included on our website.